The Magician's Apprentice
by Sir Perfluous
Summary: For Preston and Sarah, the real magic wasn't found in performing for the community talent show, but in realizing that two very different people actually had an awful lot in common.


**Note: I do not own Power Rangers. They belong to that Haim Saban fellow. That said, enjoy this little oneshot.  
**

* * *

Sarah Thompson stuffed some textbooks into her pink backpack before closing the door to her locker and walking into the bustling hallways of Summer Cove High School. The air was already filled with the sounds of laughter and chattering students enjoying their last minutes of freedom before the school day started. It had only been a few weeks since the new school year had started, but all the students seemed to enjoy being able to catch up with each other or share stories about their summer vacations. A clique of girls gathered by the water fountain gossiping with each other while another group of student athletes from the football team passed by loudly joking with each other. As Sarah took note of other groups of students passing by, she couldn't help but give a sigh.

It was tough being the new girl here and she was already at a disadvantage. Transferring in to Summer Cove as a junior meant that many of the people here were already very familiar with each other. Everyone her age seemed perfectly content to carry on in the cliques and social groups that they had already formed since freshman year. While she knew it wasn't going to be easy fitting in here just yet, she decided to put on a good face and try to make the best of it. Of course, she always had her new Ranger friends to fall back on, but she was still a bit hesitant to really tag along with them yet. Aside from Brody, the rest of them had their own circles of people to spend time with and she didn't want to intrude.

As she headed to the end of the hall and into the main atrium of the school, she looked across the way and caught sight of her friend and fellow Ranger Preston Tien standing at a table demonstrating a new magic card trick to some fellow students. Judging by the unimpressed looks on their faces, it didn't seem to be going well. The Blue Ranger fumbled about pulling a few cards in a row asking if it was the right one only to be met with shaking heads and bored yawns.

Before she could offer a sympathetic look, Sarah felt a tap on her shoulder and looked to see a group of upperclassmen girls gather around her. The four girls were all attractive and wore very fashionable clothes in line with the current Fall trend. Not surprisingly, their hair and makeup were done immaculately as well. Sarah immediately recognized the first girl named Jillian Coleman as she stepped forward. The slender brunette girl with a preppy look about her held a small stack of pink cards in her hand and gave an amused smile, "You're the new girl... Sarah Thompson, right?"

The Pink Ranger gave a hesitant look to the others before shrugging and offering a cheerful smile, "Yep... that's me!"

Jillian studied her for a few moments longer before giving a nod and handing out one of the pink cards in her hand. Sarah raised an eyebrow and studied it, "What's this?"

"An invitation to a back-to-school party I'm throwing at my house next weekend. The girls and I thought you should come."

"Really? That's really nice of you! Thanks!" Sarah exclaimed, "But... are you sure it's okay? I mean, I just got here to Summer Cove and you hardly know me..."

Jillian smirked and waved it off, "That's okay. You seemed like an interesting person and my friends and I liked your look too. You have potential girl. We thought you might want to start hanging around with us. You know... get to know the school, maybe meet the right people around here?"

"The right people?" Sarah asked curiously.

Jocelyn Chambers, a tall dark haired girl with a french braid stepped forward and cast a quick glance around, "You know, people who are fun to be around and get you into the right parties. You do want to make a bunch of new friends here, don't you?"

"Well yeah, but..."

"Great! Then you'll come to my party?" Jillian asked expectantly.

Sarah frowned and mulled it over a minute, "Well... I think I could swing it. I've got a lot of homework due just before that weekend. It's a big science project I'm working on using magnets and superconductors to..."

"Snoresville," Jillian sighed while giving a dismissive wave of the hand, "Really Sarah, if you're going to be hanging out with our crew, you might want to lay off on talking about all that nerdy science stuff."

"What? Why?" the Pink Ranger asked in surprised disappointment, "It's something I'm really interested in!"

Jocelyn sighed and crossed her arms, "Well, I can tell you right now that no one at the party is going to be interested in listening to anyone talk about magnets and super-whatchamacallits."

"Superconductors?"

"Whatever," Jillian said clearing her throat and turning back to Sarah, "If you're going to go, just remember to be cool. Wear something hot, and you'll be sure to have a good time."

At that moment, Preston walked over wearing a big cheerful smile while shuffling his deck of cards in his hand, "Oh hey Sarah! Jillian, Jocelyn, and everyone."

Jillian rolled her eyes with a patronizing sigh, "Hi Preston. If you don't mind, we were kind of in the middle of something?"

"Ah! Sorry about that," he said apologetically backing off, "I didn't mean to butt in. Umm, when you're done, would any of you like to see the newest magic trick I've been working on?"

"Maybe some other time," Jillian said with a thin insincere smile.

"Oh, before I forget..." Sarah cut in as she stepped over to support her fellow Ranger, "Is it okay if I bring some other friends to the party too?"

Jillian grimaced and shook her head while holding up her guest cards, "Sorry. This is an invitation-only type thing. Hope to see you next Saturday."

The two Rangers watched the girls walk off down the hall while Sarah wore a troubled look on her face, "Well... that wasn't very nice. They should have offered to maybe invite you to this party too Preston. They might want someone to help provide some extra entertainment, you know?"

The Blue Ranger winced a moment before giving a reluctant shrug, "Nah. I never really get invited to those kinds of parties anyway. It's okay though. I'm kinda used to it by now."

Sarah gave her friend a sympathetic look but before she could speak again, the school bell rang signaling first period classes. Preston pulled off his magician's hat and shrugged out of his blue performing jacket, "Come on Sarah. Class is starting soon. We should get going to homeroom."

* * *

A little while later, the students took their seats and settled into homeroom. Amid the noisy chatter of students, Preston and Sarah took a seat by Calvin who was busy texting a last message to his girlfriend Haley across the hall in another classroom. Moments later, a middle aged woman with dark curly hair and a floral dress walked in and made her way toward the large desk at the front. The Rangers' first period teacher Mrs. Finch cast a look around the room and raised her hands to quiet the students, "All right. That's enough. Settle down everyone. It's time to take roll call."

Once she finished going down the list of names, Mrs. Finch walked over and posted a blue paper on the bulletin board nearby, "Okay class, before we start in today I just wanted to make a quick announcement. Next Saturday a community talent show will be held here at the school in order to raise money for a local children's hospital. I'm hoping all of you consider signing up with an act or volunteering for the event."

"Not likely," the class president Victor Vicent snorted quietly toward his bespectacled classmate Monty sitting nearby, "As if I'm going to be crazy enough to miss that big house party Jillian Coleman is throwing."

Sarah turned her attention away from them and caught Preston eying the event flier with an eager smile on his face. Without any more delay, Mrs. Finch cleared her throat, "Right then. Let's get started. Will everyone open your textbooks and please turn to Chapter 4?"

* * *

A few days later, the lunch bell sounded as the five Ninja Steel Rangers gathered together at a table for lunch period. While they took some time out to eat their meals and catch up with each other, Preston sat glumly drumming his fingers on the table while his slice of pizza remained uneaten in front of him. It wasn't until Calvin looked over and snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face to get a response, "Hey! Earth to Presto! You okay over there?"

The Blue Ranger sighed and shrugged, "Oh, sorry Cal. I just had a lot on my mind."

"It looks like you've got a lot on your plate," Brody observed while slowly reaching for the slice of pizza, "You aren't planning to eat that, are you?"

He was stopped as Haley frowned and gave him a quick slap on the wrist before turning with a more compassionate look toward the other Ranger, "Anything we can help you with Preston?"

The Blue Ranger furrowed his brow in thought and shook his head, "Probably not. It's about this community talent show coming up next weekend. I signed up to do a magic act but I've been wracking my brain to try and figure out something really impressive to do. Up to now, everyone around here has seen most of my tricks and frankly... my magic kinda sucks."

"Why don't you try figuring out a safe way to maybe use your *ahem* other magic powers?" Calvin suggested helpfully.

"Yeah! That would be epic!" Brody enthused pumping an excited fist to himself.

"Umm, maybe that wouldn't be such a great idea," Sarah chimed in as she put down her sandwich, "You do remember what happened last time Preston tried to do that, right?"

Everyone gave crestfallen looks before the Pink Ranger scratched her chin thoughtfully, "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Haley asked hopefully.

"Unless we find a new way to do magic without using magic..." Sarah grinned while snapping her fingers, "Like by using science!"

Brody snorted in disbelief, "Really? Science? How is that supposed to work?"

"Simple," Sarah explained, "Stage magic is all about illusions and making things look spectacular, right? Science can do a lot of that stuff too if you know how it works. The project I'm working on for class right now could be a great example for a trick. With Mick's help to finish it, I'm sure it'll blow some minds!"

"Gee, I don't know Sarah. Are you sure you aren't going to bore the audience if you start lecturing them about all the sciency stuff?" Calvin asked skeptically.

"Maybe not," Preston smiled as he mulled the idea over in his head, "If there are going to be a lot of kids and families there, maybe we could aim for something both educational and fun."

Sarah gave a surprised look, "For real? You actually want my input on this?"

The Blue Ranger extended an eager hand, "Sure. Why not? I don't really have any better ideas so what do you say... partner?"

* * *

Over the next few days, both Sarah and Preston worked together to brainstorm and plan a show around performing magic tricks that used simple scientific principles. Late one afternoon, they stayed after school in order to plan the final part of the act with the most impressive trick of all. The two friends met in the school science lab where the Pink Ranger kept her project safely stowed away and covered by a sheet. Preston watched as she removed the sheet from a table and saw a large metallic ring shaped structure. "What's this?"

"Your Grand Finale," Sarah grinned proudly as she held up a metal disc and held it over the edge of the ring, "It relies on something called Quantum Levitation. I got the idea from when I built my hoverboard, so I thought I'd play around with more floating things. This ring was built with magnets and when we take this metal superconductor disc and freeze it to a low temperature, we can actually make it levitate or fly in circles around the track. I only wish I was able to customize the shape of this disc into something cooler."

"Like a train going around the tracks?" Preston teased gently which earned him a gentle punch in the arm. He raised his hands in response to her pout and laughed, "Relax! I'm joking! It sounds awesome, so let's use it... if that's okay with you of course."

"Absolutely!" Sarah replied brightly before giving a sheepish look, "You know... to be honest, it's been kinda nice having someone take an interest in my projects and think they're cool. Normally I've always felt kinda left out about liking this stuff so I really appreciate your listening and being supportive."

"Hey, what are friends for, right?" Preston mused as he helped put the cover back on her project, "I've always sorta felt the same way about doing magic. People around here have always thought it was kinda lame or uncool but I'm glad you don't really seem to think any less of me for it."

"Well, I still think your hobby is a little dorky," she teased with a laugh, "But... I mean that in the nicest possible way."

"Pot meet kettle," Preston sighed, "You just haven't been around here long enough to see all my magic show mishaps. Trust me, some have been pretty embarrassing."

As they left the science lab and walked down the halls toward the entrance, Sarah turned to her fellow Ranger and gave a curious look, "Preston... can I ask you a serious question? You had told us before what had gotten you interested in magic in the first place, but why do you love it so much? What keeps you doing it when no one else really seems to care around here?"

Preston stopped and thought for a long moment before answering, "Hmm, I guess because I'm sure there's bound to be someone out there who will enjoy my show. If I can make at least one person's day brighter, then it's worth it."

He reached up to reveal the little silver dragon bracelet that he wore on his wrist and pointed to it, "I'm grateful to that magician that I watched as a kid because he made me happy and showed me something really amazing. Maybe I can do that for another young kid and share my passion for magic too, you know? Just do something to make him happy or realize that hey... this magic stuff is kinda cool! I want to do it too and be just like that guy!"

Sarah stopped to consider his words. In a way, she couldn't help but feel her heart warm while admiring his positive determined attitude. He could have quit his hobby a long time ago and folded under all the ridicule and patronizing attitudes of many other students here, but he never let that bother him. She wasn't sure she would be able to endure that same kind of negativity from others, but she knew where he was coming from. Like him, she loved something odd and understood just how frustrating it could be when a lot of other people didn't accept that or share the same interest. At times, it was tough and if she was honest with herself... kind of a lonely feeling too.

Preston wore a dreamy smile with a far off look in his eyes before clearing his throat and giving a slightly embarrassed shrug,"There I go again with my head in the clouds. You must think that's all kinda cheesy and lame, huh?"

The Pink Ranger gave a warm look put a hand on his shoulder, "No... not at all. I actually think it's very sweet."

"Really?" Preston asked in surprise as his face grew warm and he suddenly felt a little self conscious at the seemingly intimate moment being had now, "Uh... thanks. I guess I'll see ya tomorrow?"

He gave a slightly awkward wave before heading out the doors of the school. Sarah watched him go before turning around in surprise to see the her classmate Jillian Coleman coming down the main hall toward her. She carried her backpack and looked to be going home too, but Jillian stopped a moment to give Sarah a curious look, "So... Sarah, have you given any thought to that party on Saturday evening?"

The Pink Ranger stopped and slapped her forehead, "Oh shoot! I totally forgot about it!"

Jillian raised an eyebrow before Sarah went to explain, "Sorry, I've been so busy helping Preston out for his act in the talent show that I forgot they were on the same day."

Jillian snorted in amusement, "Really? Presto Lame-o? You must be a saint for wanting to help him out."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Sarah frowned indignantly.

Jillian sighed and shrugged, "Take it from me Thompson. I'm just trying to help you out here. If you still want to make a lot of friends here, you're not going to do it by being seen with dweeby people like him. It's not too late girl, ciao!"

Sarah watched as Jillian walked out through the doors and left the building. She still felt a little upset at the mean things Jillian had said about Preston, but in a way she couldn't help but be a little scared by those words. The selfish part of her really did want to fit in and be accepted in this new school. Maybe her other Ranger friends weren't the coolest or most popular people there and that was okay with Sarah, but if she had a chance to be something more... maybe more well liked and recognized around here, she still had to stop and give it a little thought, right? She gave a conflicted sigh and brushed aside her gold curly hair, vowing to give a lot of thought to her dilemma during her own walk home.

* * *

The next day, Preston stood by himself in the science lab with several items needed for the talent show the following evening. He was going through a dry run of his show and he laid out each part of the act while skimming over his script and notes. So far everything was looking good and he had an unusually optimistic feeling about the coming performance. It wasn't often he felt that way about a show and he hoped that positive vibe would come through to the audience. As he continued to go over his notes, he didn't even notice Sarah as she entered the lab and give a little hesitant knock at the door, "Oh hey Preston... uh, getting some practice in for the big show tomorrow night?"

He looked up in surprise and gave a bright smile at seeing her, "Hey Sarah! Yeah, perfect timing. Since you're here, I was wondering if you'd like to help go over the final trick again so we can really wow the audience."

"Yeah... about that," the Pink Ranger grimaced as she slowly entered the room and evasively turned her eyes away, "I'm not sure if I'll be able to do the magic show with you after all."

Preston blinked in surprise before deflating a little in disappointment, "What? Why? Is something wrong?"

Sarah shook her head while wringing her hands. As she bit her lip, she looked up and gave a long sigh, "Preston, you're a good guy, so I'll just be completely honest with you. I got myself into kind of a tough spot with Jillian Coleman. Just the other day, she reminded me of that big party she had invited me to. I had completely forgotten about it while I was helping you this past week and well... there's still kind of a part of me that would like to go. You know, I'm still kinda new around here and I don't know a whole lot of people so I thought that maybe I..."

"Sarah..." he interrupted her gently. She stopped and looked at him as he took a moment to process his disappointment and turn it into a stoic smile, "It's okay... I get it."

"You... you do?" she asked in confusion, having expected a much worse reaction or maybe a few harsh words.

Preston nodded gently, "Yeah, I do. If you want to go to the party, then go for it. I think it might be good for you. You should want to go meet a bunch of new people here and have fun so... I understand."

"Preston..."

He raised his hands gently, "It's okay. I mean, you already helped me out big time with preparing for this whole show and I really appreciate it. There's really no reason you shouldn't be allowed to go out tomorrow night and have some fun for yourself."

Sarah shook her head with a guilty contrite look, "I am so sorry about all this Preston. I hope you don't think this is all because I'm just flaky or that I don't want to hang out with you or anything..."

"I know..." he nodded quietly while forcing a cheerful smile, "I'll be fine, so don't worry about me. Just go make sure you have a good time at Jillian's, okay?"

"Thanks Preston. You're the best," Sarah nodded apologetically before quietly heading out of the room.

As she left, the young magician exhaled deeply and slumped down in a lab chair. He gave a dejected look to the props laid out for the show before he took a deep breath and stood back up, forcing himself to work through his hurt feelings. He picked up his wand and gave a determined nod. As he put on his magician's hat, he spoke quiet words of encouragement to himself to steel his heart for the coming performance, "Come on Preston. You can do this. Pull yourself together... it's just a girl. You've suffered worse embarrassments before, right? The show must go on!"

* * *

Early the next evening, Sarah stood in her bedroom preparing to make her way out toward Jillian Coleman's house to attend the party. While she fixed her hair in the mirror and straightened out the stylish pink dress she was wearing, she glanced over toward her pink ninja power star which sat on the nearby dresser next to her phone. She stopped and picked it up, wondering for a moment if she was doing the right thing. Of course part of her wanted to go this party tonight, but she wondered if she was doing it for the right reasons. For a moment, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd really fit in among those people in Jillian's circle anyway.

Even though Preston had said it was okay, he had still looked so disappointed and Sarah couldn't help but feel like she was not only letting her Ranger teammate down, but her friend too. After all, wasn't being supportive and helping a friend in need what being a Power Ranger was all about? She glanced at her phone nearby and noticed that it read 6:45 PM. Both the party and the community talent show would be starting soon and she didn't have much time. With a resolute nod, the Pink Ranger pocketed her star and went to find her hoverboard. Her decision was made and she had a social event to attend.

* * *

Meanwhile, Preston was busy at work setting up for his act using three tables in the auditorium of the school. He had donned his blue performer's coat and his magician top hat and he took a took a few moments to read over his notes again. Sarah had written down the ways that the tricks worked so that he could explain it to the audience later and he wanted to make sure he got it right. While an audience of mostly parents and young kids filtered in and got settled, Preston saw his three other Ranger friends sitting in the auditorium to show their support. From his vantage point, he could see Haley wave while Calvin and Brody both gave encouraging thumbs ups. That was when he felt a tap on the shoulder from behind and turned in surprise to see the Pink Ranger. She was wearing her stylish pink party dress along with a serene smile.

"Sarah! I… what are you doing here?" Preston gasped in astonishment, "I thought you were going to that party at Jillian's tonight."

"I was," she answered with a sheepish shrug, "But I figured this was a little more important. I've already got a good friend here who I know I'll have fun with. Besides, maybe if we do this right the kids will have some fun too, don't you think?"

Preston beamed before his act was officially announced and he stepped forward to address the crowd, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Tonight, I the great Presto-Change-o will amaze you all with the help of my _beautiful_ assistant Sarah!"

Sarah blinked in momentary surprise at his choice of words before giving a gracious smile of her own to the crowd. She played along and made a dramatic gesture with her hands and the act began. As Preston began to go about performing the tricks, he would demonstrate the feat and then allow Sarah to proudly give a simple explanation to the children of how science helped to make it happen.

To start, Preston seemingly poured water into a glass and tipped the cup over completely without spilling a drop. The children gave a laugh as Sarah told them that a sodium based chemical put in the bottom of the glass had absorbed the water and formed a clear gel giving a fake appearance of liquid in the glass.

With the help of his assistant, Preston rubbed a "magic" balloon on Sarah's head to make dolls cut out of paper stand up and float with static electricity. To the children's amazement, the two Rangers used supercooled distilled water and poured it onto a chilled tray to create an instant block of ice… with a few magic words added from Preston of course.

Finally, they brought out Sarah's science project made of magnets and let the kids come close to watch the grand finale. After having frozen her disc of superconductor metal, Sarah laid it on the track while Preston said a few magic words. To the children's amazement, the frozen disc floated on the magnet tracks and with a little push from the Pink Ranger, the disc began to magically cruise around and around in midair.

At the conclusion of the show, the two Rangers exchanged a quiet smile between each other as they were both met with applause and praise from the other Rangers, and all the parents and children present. Although they hadn't defeated a monster on the battlefield, the Pink and Blue Rangers had made a great team and took pride in the fact that their performance couldn't have gone any better. They hoped the rest of the charity event would be successful and while it would have been nice to have been recognized by more of their classmates who had opted to go the party instead, at the moment, none of that seemed to matter. Doing good and making the children smile had been its own reward. After all, that was another important part of what being a Ranger was all about, right?

* * *

Later that evening, a cool autumn breeze blew over the tree lined streets of Summer Cove as Preston made his way home with Sarah. While he walked, Sarah slowly glided alongside him on her custom hoverboard. They strolled along into a quieter subdivision enjoying the fresh air and quiet rustling of leaves while Preston gave one more light hearted laugh about their day, "You know, I think the audience really enjoyed the show tonight and the kids got a lot out of it too."

"You think so?"

Preston nodded, "Sure. Giving the performance a science angle was a great idea and I couldn't have done it without you… so thanks again Sarah."

"Oh, don't sweat it. I enjoyed being able to teach the kids some fun things. Who knows, maybe it'll inspire them too," Sarah smiled thoughtfully, "Now I can see why you like trying to entertain other people so much. It's really kinda rewarding and selfless in a way."

"Speaking of selfless… I still feel a little bad about making you miss that party," Preston said apologetically, "Jillian and her group are pretty selective about the people they invite. I'm sure you probably would have had a lot more fun with that crew."

"I don't know about that," Sarah shrugged, "To be honest, I actually had a lot of fun tonight too. I liked getting the chance to hang out with you more and to have someone listen while I geek out about my own project. I'm really not used to anyone else taking an interest in the things I like without falling asleep or thinking I'm a big dork too."

"I think I know the exact feeling," Preston laughed while giving a wink, "But for what it's worth… I'm glad you came tonight."

Sarah chuckled, "Well, I couldn't let my cute new outfit go to waste, right?"

"If I ever need a lovely assistant for any more magic shows in the future, I'll know just who to ask first," Preston replied while slightly adjusting his collar.

"Yeah… speaking of that," Sarah said in amusement as they stopped at the front walkway to her house. She hopped off her hoverboard and gave him an amused look, "Correct me if I'm wrong here but I seem to remember you had actually referred to me as your _beautiful_ assistant back there."

"Oh… did I?" The Blue Ranger said while suddenly feeling his cheeks grow a little warm, "Well, I guess I just got caught up in the moment there. All part of the act, right?"

The Pink Ranger studied him a moment while maintaining her amused expression. She slowly stepped close, throwing him off balance even more, "So you think I'm beautiful Preston?"

"Umm… well, I uh…"

His stammering was cut short as she reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking up the steps to her home. As she hefted her hoverboard under her arm, she turned and gave a little wink from the porch, "It's okay. You're not too bad looking yourself. Night!"

The Blue Ranger simply gave a stunned wave and watched Sarah enter her house. As the door closed, he shook his head and began making his own way home. He couldn't deny that it was a good feeling. While he walked along the sidewalk, Preston couldn't help but feel glad that he was able to help Sarah in return and make her happy tonight. It wasn't always easy fitting in with others, so he decided that he'd do his part to help her adjust by continuing to be a good friend. After all, he owed her that much.

While he continued to stroll down the quiet road, Preston took a moment to touch the spot on his cheek where Sarah had kissed him. That was just an innocent little show of affection between friends... wasn't it? Whatever the case, getting to do something good for others while becoming closer with a new Ranger friend... now that was something magical indeed.


End file.
